Press Release
September 19, 2019

TRANSCRIPT OF SEN. PIA CAYETANO'S INTERVIEW ON THE FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE'S BUDGET HEARING FOR CHED & SUCS

On the budget hearing for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)

Reporter: Ma'am, please give us an overview of the hearing and your thoughts tungkol sa budget ng SUCs, ano ang next step ng committee?

PSC: Of course, budget, finances ang pinag-uusapan. And the biggest concern of CHED and the SUCs is that they have at least P11 billion that is meant to finance yung education - kumbaga, sa madaling salita, parang scholarships ng mga bata - na na-cut, na nabawasan.

So, P11 billion yung hahanapan natin ng pondo. These are students who have previously been awarded scholarships and then may incoming din na mga graduates na mag-aavail, and may shortage tayo diyan.

We need to address this because we consider our human resource the most important resource that we have. So their education is very important.

And let me put on record that if you compare our spending with other countries, medyo talo tayo. Our Constitution requires that we prioritize education. Totoo naman, nasusunod naman natin na biggest agency that receives funding is education. However, the recommendation of the UN is 6 percent. And we are only spending 3.9, almost 4 percent. Mas mataas ang spending sa atin ng Laos at ng Vietnam. At alam mo talagang itong mga bansang 'to, naghahabol, diba?

So dapat tayo, huwag lang din tayong kampante. Kailangan mag-invest pa rin tayo sa education sector.

I also took note and pointed out that the SUC presidents and CHED also have a role to play. They have to be able to submit all the requirements to prove the funding is properly used.

But on that note, I am happy that I had 5 or 6 other colleagues who all support education. So I am hoping that they will support my initiative to put in more funding for education in general, capital outlays of the SUCs, and the funding of the education itself through scholarships and grants.

Reporter: Ma'am, yung P11 billion, may idea tayo kung saan pwedeng i-source out?

PSC: Pwede naman nating... ang proposal ko nga is tingnan yung doon sa mga hindi pa nagamit nila na budget, yung unused portion nila, and they will give me the final amount. Kasi, meron nung 2018 na nalipat nila sa 2019. Pero 'pag may natira pa doon, dahil may 2019 budget din, baka pwede tayong kumuha doon.

Reporter: Hopefully, sapat na po 'yun...

PSC: Well, I don't know kasi P11 billion yung total, and ang ine-expect kong makuha doon sa mga hindi nagamit, mga unobligated nila is parang P8 billion lang.

Mga P8 billion is what I hope to get, but that's subject to verification nila na hindi nagamit yung P8 billion na yun.

Reporter: Ang hindi na-submit ng UP, ano po ang mga kulang pa nila?

PSC: Marami, humingi kasi ako ng development sa status ng mga projects, kasi syempre malaking part ng budget [ng SUCs] ang UP, malaki talagang portion of the higher education budget goes to UP. And I have been a big supporter for many years.

I just want them to properly explain to me what these programs are, the projects, the timelines, the status, so that tuloy-tuloy naman tayong makatulong sa UP. Yun lang naman ang sa akin, so that responsible naman tayo sa paglalagay ng pondo.

Thank you!

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